Designing a Home Classroom that Actually Works
Online learning is tough. From digital access equity to reduced accountability, the challenges surrounding distance learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic are troubling educators and students alike.
It’s harder than ever to feel motivated and productive—you can’t muster a feeling out of thin air. You can’t just say, “I feel motivated,” and suddenly want nothing more than to do homework for the rest of your life. But, over time, you can build motivation and rewire your neural pathways.
Developing motivation requires feeling in control of your psychological processes and external tools. Having a physical environment where you feel comfortable and facilitates your concentration is the first step in keeping yourself and your work organized. So, how can you create a home classroom that actually works?
Find a study corner. You don’t need to be alone in a giant, silent library in order to get work done. Where you’re naturally more productive is not necessarily the same as others. Set up your own space with a writing surface and any combination of the following: coffee/tea/hot chocolate, a basket of special study snacks, ambient music, natural light, an essential oil diffuser or candle, and no distractions. If you study well with a friend, this could also be a place you study together!
Design your space. If your space looks aesthetically pleasing, you’ll feel more productive! Put up some simple artwork with bold colors. Use .38 Muji gel pens in various colors (or .5, if that’s more your style). Sit on yoga balls or cow-print bean bags when you’re feeling restless.
Keep your back supported. When sitting, your desk should be at (or slightly below) resting elbow height with your feet planted firmly on the floor. If your desk is too high, add a seat cushion to prop yourself up. Consider using a lumbar support pillow to maintain proper posture and ensure that the thighs remain almost parallel to the ground.
Keep all your supplies in the same place. Books, binders, notebooks, pencils, and sharpeners should stay in your desk or your backpack, so you know where they are at all times.
Utilize physical reminders. With virtual classes, digital textbooks, and online assignments, the idea of using a pencil and paper might seem outdated. However, studies show that note-taking by hand enables greater learning and retention. Consider printing out articles whenever possible, putting a whiteboard with your class schedule on it, and using a physical planner to track assignments.
Take frequent breaks. Working for hours on end in front of screens can burn you out. Do jumping jacks in between classes, read a comic book during lunch, and take a short walk after class to see the crunchy fall leaves. Avoid breaks that don’t have a finite end point (e.g., taking a nap, any social media with limitless scroll).
Remember that changing the way we work is difficult, and there is no magic fix. No system will result immediately in perfect grades and zero missed assignments. You will not have a perfectly organized backpack all the time. You’ll never be fully in control – after all, no one is.
But you can aim to develop tools that bring more control to your academic life than you’ve had before. Reach out if you (or your student) are having trouble with the transition to online learning. Our study skills coaches are eager to get you back on track!
Working one-on-one with someone experienced and knowledgeable is a great way to help students get through these challenging times. Parents who connect their students with personal tutoring have set them up for success
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The turn of the new year is an exciting time. Holiday break provides a perfect and necessary opportunity to relax, unwind, and begin the new year with refreshed energy and motivation. Nevertheless, many schools’ schedules coincide so that early into the new year midterm, or even final exams, loom. Although you may still have a couple weeks before these exams are upon you, it’s critical to begin the studying process now in order to fully retain the substantial amount of material that you’ll be tested on. You don’t want to find yourself at the end of break realizing you have barely reviewed.
Holiday breaks can be the perfect time to reflect and reassess – what aided success this last semester, and what hindered performance? Here are a few key tips to deepen your understanding of your (or your student’s) academic journey.
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The beginning of the year is a great time to reflect, reassess – what worked, or didn’t? – and plan for the new academic year. While it’s infeasible to plan for every contingency, it is helpful to install a few keystone strategies in place to effectively focus, manage time, and study well.
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Concerns within and about our contemporary educational systems have been voiced for years. The United States has consistently ranked last amongst OECD countries tested on math gains and second-to-last on literacy gains.
Many students believe they are simply “bad at math” – and that this will always be true for them. However, such convictions may stem from math anxiety, which causes feelings of extreme nervousness or fear when confronted with math questions or new math topics. Math-related anxiety makes it harder to focus on topics as they are being taught, or while completing assessments. While common, there are also many ways to alleviate math anxiety.
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“Executive function” has been percolating in education circles for a while, having first emerged from neuropsychological research in the 1970s (e.g., Barkley, et al.) focused on the pre-frontal cortex. It has since morphed into a term with myriad meanings and uses, often tied to early childhood development. In this article, we’ll break down what executive functioning is, then examine what an executive function coach does. Let’s start with what executive functioning is.
The past school year has been more difficult than most. With the stress and uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the consequent hasty switch to distance learning, you might feel that you or your student’s math education has been negatively impacted.
While you definitely deserve a relaxing summer break, now is also a critical time to strengthen your college readiness skills and ensure a successful first semester of college. With a majority of the last year of school happening virtually, the Class of 2021 may have missed out on opportunities to develop important college readiness skills.
Summer is finally here, which for most students means spending days by the pool, going on hikes, hanging out with friends, and maybe taking a drive out to the coast. For many students, it also means the beginning of something potentially anxiety-inducing and demanding: summer reading. Back in the good old days of elementary and middle school, summer reading meant spending a lot of time with Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. You might still be logging some hours with those classics as a high school student, but you probably have some other classics on your plate now, too (Jane Eyre, anybody?). Not to worry! Summer reading is definitely not something you should dread.
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Online learning is tough. From digital access equity to reduced accountability, the challenges surrounding distance learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic are troubling educators and students alike.
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Taking into account the current COVID-19 crisis, where students will have been out of school from March to September (and potentially longer), summer break may seem less like leisure time and more like a scholastic drought. In fact, the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a non-profit that assess academic proficiency, estimates that students may return to school with only 70 percent of yearly gains in reading and less than 50 percent of gains in math.